Latch construction for sealed burial casket



8 19, 1952 E B. J. SLAUGHTER, JR 2,607,102

LATCH CONSTRUCTION FOR SEALED BURIAL CASKET Filed Jan. 4, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 IN VEN TOR.

BERNARD J. SLAUGHTE/g J1? g- 5 B. J. SLAUGHTER, JR 2,607,102

. LATCH CONSTRUCTION FOR SEALED BURIAL CASKET Filed Jan. 4, 1950 2. SHEETSSHEET 2 INVENTOR. BERNARD J. SLAUGHTER, JR.

Aiys.

Patented Aug. 19, 1952 aromas mire oonsrmuorron r01 sermon I 'BU'BZIAL CASKET p Bernard 5.. Slaughter, Jr., rfiirminnati, as-

" signor to Ellie Crane & :Breed Qasket compams I .CincinnatL-Qhim a-.corporationof\Qhiov Applicationil-anuary 4, 1950,5SeridlNoJil36Z'Z31 1 (ores-1a) invention relates to a latch construction casket body each have ahollow the rims .ha-v-- ing relatively broadfiat opposed taces; The of the casket body is provided with a. peripheral trough in which a circumferential gasket is retained. The lid compresses the gasket in the trough when the lidis closed. ,-A plurality of latch keepers attached to one of the rims are engaged by latches which .are attached to the-ether rim.

An object of this invention is to provide a latch construction in which the latch engages a latch keeper which is mounted inboard of the gasket .so that no auxiliary gasketsare required to. seal the opening through which thela-tch keeper extends when the lid is closed.-

A further object of this invention is to provide alatch construction for a casket of this type in which the latch includes ashaft which extends across the rim and passes inboard of the gasket so that a latch operating platemounted on the shaft can engage the latch keeper inboard of thegasket.

.A further object of .thisinventionis to provide a. latch construction ior .a casket of this type in which the latch is elongated andn is rigidly supported at both ends. 'v v Briefly this invention provides a latch which includes an elongated sleeve which is attached to and extends through the rim of a hollow opentopped casket body. .A shaft is rotatable in the sleeve. The head of the shaft is enlarged and is accessible exteriorly of the casket so that the shaft can be turned from outsideof the casket. A resilient substantially impervious washer mounted on the shaft under the head of the shaft forms-a 'seal between the s'leeveand the shaft. The elongated sleeve and "shaft extend inboardoi the gasket, anda latch plate is 'non-rotatably attached to the shaft inboard of the gasket. A latch keeper is attached to the rim of the casket lid inboard of the gasket, and the latch plate is adapted to engage the latch keeper to draw the rim of the lid down upon the rim of the casket body. .Since the latch keeper and datch are mounted inboard of the :peripheraligaslret, no auxiliary gasketingjs required ontthe latchjkeeper and Elatch plate. The shaft :tunther :extends .loee mend the sleeveinto a .=b.earmg zopening :in :a memher which is attached toitheitim-zof the caske't body inboard of the latch membe'r ior supporting the shaftait its innerendf I 'Ihe above and other objects-and features-of the invention will in partvbeiapparent, and-will in part she obvious fromtheiidllowingkdetailed description and the drawings. inwwhich: v

figure 1. is :a inusizdezaelevaztionishovdng a :casketz generallyythezcasket hem nonstmxcted in. accordance with Lil J. M 7 r vaFfig. 2 .a fragmentary sectienalrview; along alinelI -i-II in Fig'i-il: i; v 1i i i 3 is anenlarged tnansversers 'bnal showing details-cfaiaiteh member;

Fig. 4 is lasectional vle w taken lalnng aa-l ine IV-1Vin?Fig.B:; m 1

.Fig. 5 :is a view zinpsitle elevation-showing :a

trunnion bearing member andiasupporttherefor;

and

fig. 6 is a fragmentarywiewrm lengthwise vertical section showing fi-n fimlbf thesasket.

In the following zdetailedaidescription mid'lthe drawings, like, reierenoeichahacters "indicate like v I l .In .1 a casket :is shown includesra hollow open-topped :ca'sket lbodyilit] and: lid sections J52 113. Eigrflgjthe 'lidusections arehlnged :alongza lengthwise side of :the casket body, as indicated-lat :l 3";.: A compressible peripheral gasket iM EXtBndSiUOmplfllfly around the oasketfto form a seal hetweenithe body :I :1 and the :lid sections 1'2, and. tit-when the lid :sections are closed; zarlditiomwsmxappropriate transverse ;gasket, not'tshovvnlmay he provided between the lidfseeti'ons d2 land 'tt; The

an embodiment of this jTI WBIl-f V 3 casket body and the rim of the casket lid. The tubular gasket shown is a preferred type of gasket. However, it is to be understood that other types of gaskets, for example solid or flat gaskets may be substituted for the tubular gasket shown.

As shown in Fig. 1, a series of latches (8' are provided along the length of the casket for drawing the rims together. Two latches are provided along the front of each lid section, as shown in Fig. l and, in addition, a latch is provided at the end of each lid section as shown in Fig. 6. Only one of the latches will be described in detail as all latches are similar in construction.

As shown in Fig. 3, the gasket holding trough I6 is disposed adjacent the outer edge [of a rim face l1. Inboard of the trough Hi, the rim face I1 is apertured, as indicated at [8. A latch keeper I9 is attached to a rim face 21 of the lid and is adapted to extend through the aperture is when the lid is closed.

A latch supporting sleeve 22 extends through an aperture in the rim of the casket body. The sleeve '22 is elongated and extends beneath the gasket holding trough IS. A head 23on the sleeve 22 is enlarged and is disposed outside the casket. The sleeve extends through an opening in the casket side wall 26. A resilient annular gasket 24 fits around the sleeve 22 inside the casket body and is held against the side wall by a nut 27? threaded on the sleeve 22. The nut holds the gasket 24 against the wall 26 and the sleeve 22 to form a seal therebetween.

A shaft 28 is rotatable in the bore of the sleeve 22. The outer end of the sleeve is counterbored to form a recess 29 for receiving an enlarged head 30 of the shaft. The shaft 28 is provided with a neck 31 of reduced diameter immediately inboard of the head 30 in which is disposed a small annular impervious resilient washer 32. The washer 32 provides a seal between the shaft 28 and the sleeve 22. A slot 33 in the head of the shaft is exposed outside the rim of the casket body and can receive the blade of a screw driver for turning the shaft.

The inner end of the shaft 28 extends inboard of the sleeve 22 and is provided with a flat-sided section 34 upon which is mounted a latch plate 35 which rotates with the shaft 28. As shown in Fig. 4, the latch plate 35 includes an inner portion having a central opening for receiving the fiat-sided portion 34 of the shaft, a radial arm 36, and a horn.31 extending from'the outer end of the radial arm.36. The horn 31is provided with'a cam edge'38 (Fig; 4), spaced points on which are disposed at progressively shorter distances from the axis of the shaft in the direction of the radial arm so that when the horn engages the latch keeper I 9, the horn draws the lid downwardly against the rim of the casket body.

A nut 39'threadedto'theshaft 28 holds the latch plate in position thereon. The shaft 28 extends inboard of the nut to form a trunnion portion 4 I. The trunnion 4| extends into a bearing opening 42 (Fig. 5) in a trunnion supporting member 43. Member 43 in turn is attached inside a depending flange 44 which forms a portion of the rim of the casket body inboard of the latch keeper and latch plate. 2

Since the latch keeper and latch plate are disposed inboard of the gasket 24, there is' no necessity for auxiliary gaskets surrounding the latch keeper and latch plate, for the gasket 24 provides a seal which is disposed outboard of the latch keeper and the latch plate. The trunnion supporting member, provides a stable support for the inner end of the shaft 28. The outer end of the shaft 28 is supported in the aperture of the rim side wall 26 so that both ends of the shaft 28 arefirmly yet rotatably supported.

The device described herein and illustrated in the drawings is subject to structural modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a sealer casket having an open-topped body portion and a lid hinged to said body portion and adapted to close the top of said body portion, the lid and the body portion each having a hollow rim substantially rectangular in section, top and bottom faces of the respective body and lid rims engaging each other when the lid is closed, the engaging face of one of said rims having a gasket holding trough extending circumferentially thereof, and a compressible gasket in said trough adapted to form a seal between the body of the casket and the lid when the casket is closed; the invention which comprises a latch keeper attached to the bottom face of the lid rim and extending downwardly therefrom, the top face of the body rim, inboard of the trough, having an opening through which said latch keeper extends when the lid is closed, and a latch comprising a sleeve extending through an opening in the outer side of the casket body rim and below the gasket trough, said sleeve having an enlarged head at its outer end engaging the outer side of the casket body rim, a nut threaded on said sleeve inside the casket body rim, a resilient impervious washer held between said nut and the'inner face of said outer rim side of the casket body rim to seal said opening, the head of said sleeve being counterbored, a shaft extending through and rotatably mounted in said sleeve, said shaft having an enlarged head received in the counterbore of said sleeve head, a resilient impervious washer under the head of the shaft forming a seal between the shaft and the sleeve, the inner end of the shaft extending inboard of the inner end of the sleeve, a latch member non-rotatably mounted on the shaft inboard of the inner end of the sleeve, said I latch member having a horn engageable with the latch keeper to draw the keeper toward the axis of the shaft to hold the rims together, the inner end of said shaft having a journal portion located inboard of the latch member, and a journal bearing member attached to the inside wall of the casket body rim inboard of the latch member, said journal portion extending into the bearing of said journal bearing member to support the inner end of said shaft.

BERNARD J. SLAUGHTER, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following-references are of record inthe Slaughter et a1 May 2, 1950 

